One Dead, 5.000 in
Shelters Due To Rain in
Limón
One dead, some 5.000
evacuated in 39
communities, 17 towns
cut off and 28 roads
affected are the result
of the rain that has
been falling on the
Caribbean coast for the
last five days.

The areas of Sixaola and
Bribri, on the southern
part of the province of
Limón are completely cut
off from the rest of the
country, and the water
is also threatening the
plantations and
livelihood of many of
the residents.

The Comisión Nacional de
Emergencias (CNE) -
national emergency
commission - along with
the Cruz Roja
Costarricense (Red
Cross) and government
agencies, have been busy
trying to get to the
affected, providing
shelters, food and fresh
water.

However, the rain is not
ceasing.

The areas north of Limón
are now also being
affected. Sarapiquí and
Puerto Viejo in Heredia
are under water. The
area of La Fortuna in
San Carlos and the
Northern Zone is also
being affected by the
constant rain.

The Red Cross' Dirección
Nacional de Socorros y
Operaciones said it is
keeping personnel on
full alert for an
undefined time, making
resources of manpower
and supplies available
to the affected
communities.

Guillermo Arroyo,
director of the
Dirección , assured
residents that the Red
Cross will maintain a
"red alert" status in
the area and dispatch
personnel and equipment
as needed.

Daniel Gallardo, CNE
president, explained
that the rain has
affected the area
completely and passage
on route 32, the,
Braulio Carrillo,
between San José and
Limón is completely
closed due to mudslides
and flooding. Alternate
routes are also affected
and is best to check
with local transit
authorities before
heading out.

For their part, the
Ministerio de Obras
Públicas y Transportes (MOPT)
is being kept busy as
work crews and machinery
are working around the
clock to reopen roads,
though the section
between Siquirres and
Limón is an
impossibility with the
overflowing of its banks
of the Chirripó river.

The Instituto
Meteriologico Nacional (IMN)
- the national weather
service - says a low
pressure system is
stationed over the
Caribbean province and
the rain is expected to
continue to at least
Wednesday and may into
Friday, as a new cold
front is expected to hit
the country.